iPhone App News: Spotify app doubles streaming quality

Extreme quality playback now brings tracks at 320Kbps

Spotify for iPhone and iPod touch adds a new 'Extreme' quality mode, which brings 320Kbps streaming for Premium users. The new Extreme mode even betters the iTunes-bought tracks

Spotify has updated its app for iPhone and iPod touch, raising the streaming quality to match that on offer through the desktop client

The upgrade app now features the 'Extreme' option to stream tracks at 320kbps, which is double the quality that currently on offer. Previously the app boasted two playback options, Low Bandwidth (96kbps) and High Quality (160kbps).

The new option offers streaming even higher than the 256Kbps tracks purchased from the iTunes Music Store.

With Spotify's offline caching capabilities you can sync these tracks to your device to be played offline so you don't destroy your data allowance with the higher-quality tracks. There is, of course, the Wi-Fi playback mode, which takes data consumption out of the picture altogether.

The addition of high-quality streaming may attract audiophiles to the service, who're willing to part with the £9.99 a month for an improved listening experience.

The Android and Windows Phone version of the app are yet to recieve that upgrade and there's no word on whether they will. Of course we're all still waiting for Spotify to hurry up and launch a native iPad version of its celebrated mobile application.